Aircraft rely upon a wing for both generating the required lift of the vehicle as well as for controlling in-air maneuvers. The wing also creates drag as it generates lift. This drag-due-to-lift phenomena is better known as “induced drag.” Induced drag can be reduced if the lift on the wing is distributed elliptically along its span. That is, the lift per unit span should vary elliptically, with the largest amount of lift at the wing centerline and then dropping elliptically towards the wing tip.
Air pressure under the wing is higher than the air pressure on the top side of the wing, thereby generating lift. However, at the tip of the wing, this higher pressure air from the bottom surface of the wing has a tendency to roll around the wing tip towards the lower pressure surface, thereby creating a wing tip vortex and reducing the efficiency of the wing. Improvements in the form of winglets or wing tip planforms, such as flat plates at the wing tip, to reduce this vortex have been employed for many years. However, many types of winglet and wing tip planforms are inefficient themselves and can be further optimized to improve wing efficiency and performance.